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iOS 10 officially revealed at WWDC

Apple pulls the wrappers off of major software update in San Francisco.

Apple has officially unveiled its new iOS 10 operating system at the Worldwide Developers' Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco.

The updated platform features a string of impressive, fresh features that promise to give a new lease of life to old iPhones and iPads.

The key changes centre on voice commands app, Siri.

Apple’s virtual assistant has felt a bit long in the tooth of late in the face of major improvements to rival assistant apps from Amazon and Google.

However this now seems set to change, with the news that Apple is allowing developers to use Siri in their apps for the first time.

That means you’ll be able to hail an Uber taxi or order food from Deliveroo by simply firing up Siri on a compatible iPhone and using voice commands.

Siri also now works within Apple’s Messages app and offers intelligent suggestions for words you may want to use when you're replying to texts.

It also has the ability to tap into recent addresses you’ve searched on the web, so you can share these with friends. And it can access business information for restaurants and bars and scan your calendar, with the result that you can confirm your availability for an engagement within Messages.

Apple’s Maps tool has also been opened up to developers, as has the 3D Touch pressure-sensitive user interface, which is exclusive to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

In a demo at WWDC, Apple used the example of Uber and showed how you’ll be able to order and pay for a cab from within Maps, as well as message your driver or check on his progress by pressing down on the app.

The Photos app has been given a major overhaul too, with the ability to recognise faces, scenes and objects to automatically group photos into Moments.

This is a new tab where you can see albums of holidays and events, replete with a Map showing where and when they were taken.

Apple has also made changes to the iPhone’s lock screen, with a revamped design and the ability to wake up the display just by picking up your phone.

Swiping right will open the camera, swiping left brings up stripped-down versions of apps (known as 'widgets') that provide key information, such as news updates and travel and weather data.

Elsewhere, the Apple Music streaming service has been given a sleek new look, with much bigger music controls, as well as a less fiddly interface and a personalised For You tab offering recommendations.

This includes a Discovery Mix playlist of songs the app thinks you'll like, in an echo of Spotify’s Discover Weekly function.

Apple also revealed plans to boost its HomeKit software for controlling home appliances with your handset, as well as voicemail transcriptions via a rethought messaging app.

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